Technical Field
The present invention relates to a photoconductor, and an image forming method and image forming apparatus using the photoconductor.
Description of the Related Art
In general, image forming apparatuses such as printers, photocopiers, facsimile machines which employ electrophotography form images through a series of processes of charging, irradiating, developing, transferring, and cleaning. The devices to conduct such image forming include at least a charger, an image irradiator, a developing device (reverse developing device), a transfer device, a cleaner, and a photoconductor.
In order to improve background fouling, it is effective that an undercoat layer or an intermediate layer is formed on an electroconductive substrate of the photoconductor and a photosensitive layer is formed through these layers. Such a method is used as a typical art. Various methods such as modifications of material constitutions and surface profiles are disclosed to improve the background fouling of the photoconductor including an undercoat layer or an intermediate layer on the electroconductive substrate.
As a disclosure on the material constitutions, a photoconductor including an undercoat layer and an intermediate layer including a specific metal oxide such as titanium oxide is known.
Meanwhile, modifying the surface profile is known as a method of improving background fouling.
However, these conventional arts do not realize an intermediate layer producing higher quality images and having higher durability.